Oil-well packer



(Model.)

D. L. LEWIS.

oILAWBLL PAG-KEB..

Patented Dec.. l3,'1881.`

7%@ aww @W UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEo DANIEL L. LEWIS, OF BRADFORD,PENNSYLVANIA.

OIL-WELL PACKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,929, dated December13, 1881.

Application filed J une 9, 1881.

drawings as follows:

Figure lis a perspective elevation of an oil- Well packer embodying myinvention,with a section cut out so as to show internal construction.Fig. 2 is a vertical section of vthe same device when under pressure.

My invention consists, first, in the form of the packing material;second, in the means provided for causing the packing material to becomeelongated beyond its normal form While being drawn from or put into thewell.

' In the drawings, E is the packing material. It is an annulus ofindia-rubber or other like elastic and impervious material. .Itsinnerand outer surfaces are provided with indentations to give itgreater iiexibility without materially lessening its solidity. In theform shown in the drawings, which is the preferable form, theindentations are angular, and those on the outside are placedalternately intheir relative succession with those on the inside, thusgiving the wall of the annulus in vertical section a zigzag form. Thisalternate arrangement of the indentations is the essential feature ofthe construction. The form of the indentations may be varied withoutperceptibly changing the effect. The alternating of theindentations, asshown ,produces a very desirable advantage over a form having them inco-relative succession. This advantage is that the annulus will thickenor bulge more with a given amount of pressure, and will lessen itsdiameter below its normal form when under strain more perfectly than inany other form. It will therefore be seen that while the form of theindentations is not essential their relative position is.

I am aware that car-sprin gs have been made of an annulus of rubberhaving curved indentations on its inner and outer surfaces, which(Model.)

indentations alternatein the manner described; and I do not thereforedesire. to claim,broadly, a rubber annulus having such a form as anarticle of manufacture for any purpose. My invention in this respectconsists in the application of such a device to the purposes namedherein. In order to adapt such a form of annulus perfectly to thepurposes named it is necessary to add other features to it, by doingwhich I produce a new article of manufacture. These features are meansby which the annulus may be attached to the pressing-anges, so that therubber may be elongated when drawn from the well, and by which its endsare prevented from coming in contact with the wall of the well, and areas follows: At each end of the annulus are formed necks e c, by 1vhichit can be attached to the presser-dan ges Theform of the presser-flangesand the partial incasing thereby' ot' the rubber are the subject-matterof another application for a patent by me, and therefore need nodescription here; and, broadly, the formation of the rubber of anoil-well packer so that it may be capped over or incased at its ends bythe flanges is included in my other application, and there fully treatedof. But the formation of necks c e on the ends ofa corrugated rubberannulus, whereby it may be attached to the flanges, so as to bestretched out, and hence lessened in diameter when holding the anchor orlower part ofthe tubing in suspension, as when being lowered into thewell or withdrawn therefrom, is. one of the features of my presentinvention.

The means by which the rubber is fastened to the flanges is as follows:The rims d of the flanges, which reach down on the necks e of therubber, are perforated at intervals for the passage of bolts d,'whichpass through the necks e ofthe annulus. On the inside of the annulus aremetallic facngsf, through which the bolts d also pass, theirhcads beingon the inside ofthe facings. The bolts are riveted down on the outsideof the flanges, and thus draw the parts closely together.

cheap and efficient fastening. A lip or bead, d,on the iiange, whenused, also aids in the fastening. The ange Dl is slightly different fromthe flange D in form, in that it has aledge,

This gives a Y IOO c, which reaches in beyond the tube C and forms anabutment for the shoulder b on the inner tube, B. Fig. l shows therubber in its normal shape-z'. e., without pressure or strain upon it.It will then be seen that the tube B is of such a length that theshoulder b thereon is, when the rubber is in its normal shape, somewhatbelow its abutment, the shoulder c, but not so far below that it willnot come in contact therewith, when the rubber is under a certain degreeof tension. When the well-tubing is being lowered into the well orwithdrawn therefrom such a degree of tension or strain is exerted as tostretch the rubber E and bring the shoulders b and c in contact andsustain the remainder of the strain. By this arrangement I am enabled tocontract the rubber a certain degree when it is passing into or out ofthe well, and therebypreventscufting it against the ragged walls of thewell during its passage up or down. Of course this result could not beaccomplished if the rubber was not attached iirmly to the presser-flanges, and not then very perceptibly, if it was not corrugated. If therewere no shoulders b and c to abut, the strain uponthe rubber would betoo great and it would give way, especially if the lower sectionoftubing should be very long or should stick in the bottom of the well.The contraction ofthe annulus is also advantageous, as it insures thewithdrawal of it diametrically from the wall of the well when it isattempted to withdraw the tubing from the well,it being remembered thatthe rubber, after being in the well some time, often adheres quite rinlyto the wall of the well.

It is sometimes desirable to loosen the packer without withdrawing it,as when it is wanted to pump the well for a short time so as to increaseits ow. By the use of my device this can be done perfectly by raisingthe upper tubing sufficiently to merely bring the shoulders b and c incontact, and thus contract the annulus sufficiently for the purpose ofwithdrawing it from the sides of the well.

I am aware of the patent to F. Martin of September 12, 1865, and herebydisclaim as my invention any of the subject-matter there shown.

I also hereby disclaim all matter covered by the claims in myapplication filed October 28, 1881, serial No. 44,663, which is adivision of this application.

What I claim as new isl. [n combination with`the tubing of an oilwell, acylindrical elastic block with a central longitudinal opening, so as tofit around the tubing, and provided with a series of indentations uponits exterior and interior surfaces, for the purposes mentioned.

2. In combination with the tubing of an oilwell, an elastic cylindricalblock with central longitudinal opening, so as to fit around the tubing,and provided with a series of indentations on its exterior and interiorsurfaces, which are arranged alternately, and thus give the wall of saidblock, in vertical section, a zigzagged form, substantially as shown.

3. In combination with the tubing of an oilwell, an elastic cylindricalblock with central longitudinal opening to iit around the tubing, andprovided on its exterior and interior surfaces with a series of angularindentations, for the purposes set forth.

4. In combination with an oil-well tubing, an elastic cylindrical blockhaving a longitudinal central opening to fit around the tubing, andprovided on its exterior and interior surfaces with a series of angularindentations arranged alternately in relative succession, and therebygiving the wall ot' said block', in vertical section, an angularzigzagged form, substantially as shown.

5. As an article of manufacture, the packing material ofau oil-wellpacking device, consisting of a cylindrical block of rubber piercedthrough its center longitudinally, so as to fit around the tubing, andprovided with necks at each end for attaching it to the pressingflanges,and having on its exterior and interior surfaces indentationsalternating in relative succession, so as to give the wall of saidblock, in vertical section, a zigzagged form, substantially as shown.

6. In an oil-well packer Vwherein the rubber annulus is attached at eachend to the compressing-dan ges, the combination therewith of aslip-joint in the tubing, with the inner tube thereof of such a length,substantially as shown, that when said annulus is not under pressure orstrain the shoulder on said inner pipe will not be in contact lwith butin close proximity to the shoulder on the exterior tube, whereby as thewell-tubing is held so as to bring the lower section in suspension thesaid annulus will be under strain from the weight ot' the lower sectionoftubing, and thereby have its normal diameter lessened, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this4th day of June, 1881.

D. L. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

JNO. K. HALLooK, C. SMALLEY.

IOO

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